Eastleigh is a mixed-use neighbourhood in Nairobi, Kenya. It is located east of the central business district. It is known for its business prowess. Eastleigh was founded in 1921. At this time, it was formally called Nairobi East Township. While the colonial government originally tried to segregate citizens by race and ethnicity, failures at doing so in the Eastleigh nei…Eastleigh is a mixed-use neighbourhood in Nairobi, Kenya. It is located east of the central business district. It is known for its business prowess. Eastleigh was founded in 1921. At this time, it was formally called Nairobi East Township. While the colonial government originally tried to segregate citizens by race and ethnicity, failures at doing so in the Eastleigh neighbourhood more or less stopped the practice under colonial rule, so class became the general segregating factor afterwards. The colonial government allotted Nairobi's residential estates by race, and Eastleigh was targeted for Asians and elite Africans who worked as clerks, builders, or shoemakers. Eastleigh was originally a large Kenyan Asian enclave until independence in 1963. In recent years, the suburb has been dominated by Somalis.
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